Dungeon Builder's Harem Book 02 Ch. 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Big brother!" Garnet threw herself at me. She wrapped her arms and wings about my body. Even her tail slid around me. She pressed her face into my chest and sobbed. "I... had to... She killed... Mom... And... and... I... choked... I kept squeezing and..."

"Shhh," I whispered, rocking my little sister. I dropped my spear and stroked her back. Pain tore at my heart. It fed the anger in me. It blazed hot for one second.

The yuki-onna's eyes stared at me from my memory. Pain. Scared. I executed her. I—

I battered down those eyes. She attacked me. Her Lord Led and his cock-sucking brother were responsible for this. I wouldn't feel guilty about what I did. Not when they made my little sister cry. I held her tighter.

"It's okay," I whispered. "We all had to fight."

"W-why couldn't we... we... love?"

My blood boiled.

Maya whimpered as she approached. She walked stiffly, the ice in her legs and limbs slowing her down. Her liquid face twisted in pain. I held out my right arm to her. She fell into me. She held me so tight, pressing her face into my shoulder.

"You were amazing, Maya," I said.

"I just didn't want them to hurt any more of my family," she groaned, her voice fierce.

"I know."

"We did it, Lord Leo!" Cikata said. She had re-formed into her human appearance, her darker-blue hair swaying like stiff plastic around her smiling face.

"Yeah," Usiku said.

I stroked Maya's back. She was so cold. That wasn't good. I had to get her to the baths, but Garnet clung to me. She was still rubbing her face into my breastplate. I didn't want to pry her off, but Maya whimpered.

"Garnet," I said gently, "Maya needs the hot spring. She's hurt. I have to get her there."

"Okay," she said quietly.

"So you got to let me go. Okay?" Her head lifted, her red eyes raw. "For Maya."

"Right!" she said. She pulled away from me, her tail swishing behind her. She rubbed at her eyes and sniffled. "We won. Kweh, heh, heh, we're awesome." Her Anime laugh sounded so forced. So pathetic. Not her usual exuberance. Her eyes weren't as bright.

I would murder those bastards. Kill them. But their monster girls were so strong.

As I picked up Maya in my arms, I sent to Souleen, Why did their monster girls do so much damage? It was an even fight when I arrived with my companions, and they still almost won.

They were Level 2 Monster Girls, answered Souleen. Yours are only Level 1. They just... can't compete.

They fought hard, I growled, anger swelling in me. My monster girls were amazing.

Of course, they did. They love you. They're all sleeping and dreaming of you. I could feel Souleen's smile. They're proud of serving you, Lord Leo. You're a kind master. I don't think all Dungeon Builders are.

I glanced down at Maya. She whimpered in my arms. Garnet clung to my right arm while Usiku and Cikata trailed after us. That was all that was left of my forces. My dungeon felt so empty right now. Murderous rage built and built in me.

It scared me. The yuki-onna's eyes glared at me.

I had to kill her. She served the enemy.

Garnet opened the door to the hallway that led to our quarters.

I have to find another Mana Vein to gain Level 2 Monster Girls, right? I asked Souleen.

Yes, Souleen answered. It takes two for that. Four for Level 3 and sixteen for Level 4. You'll also gain access to Intermediate Magic. No more relying on Beginner Magic for you.

Christ, they'll be even better at magic than me, I realized, shuddering.

I'm afraid so.

They had a lot of Level 2 Monster Girls, I sent as Garnet opened the door to our living room.

They would have gotten rid of all their Level 1 Monster girls to be able to maximize how many Level 2's they could have.

My step faltered as I crossed the living room to the door to the large hot spring bath. What? They killed their own monster girls?

Yes. Their souls are sleeping in the Void Crystal.

Dreaming of the masters who tossed them aside? I found myself hating the twins even more.

Garnet opened the door to the bath. Warmth washed over me. Maya quivered in delight as I carried her to the large pool of steaming water. I didn't hesitate to step into the water, the bottom of my gray robe billowing out, my boots getting soaked.

I lowered Maya to the surface and sat her down on the water. "Thank you, Leo."

She smiled as she sank beneath the water. She rested on the bottom, almost invisible in there. I smiled back at her, the fury and pain in my heart retreating for a moment. "I love you, Maya."

"Oh, yes," Garnet groaned and settled down into the hot water. Usiku sat down beside her, the wounded fomorian groaning in relief.

Cikata jumped in with enthusiasm. She floated in the steamy water, a big smile on her face. She was happy to win and to serve me. I drew in a deep breath and then I walked out of the water. My robes clung heavily to me as I left the bath behind.

They almost won today, I said to Souleen as I unfastened my breastplate.

You prevailed. You defended me. Just like you promised to.

Why? I demanded at her. Why do I have to defend you?

So you'll live and prosper.

That's not what I mean? I threw my breastplate on the floor with a clatter. I was brought here by some twisted entity and forced to attack others. To fight and to kill to survive. If it's not other Dungeon Builders, it's the local humans who think I'm a monster.

You're not a monster, Souleen said as I stripped out of my wet robes.

Not yet. I swallowed. How do you think monsters are made, Souleen?

Metaphorical ones? She hesitated. I don't know how.

Maybe by anger. Rage. This sense of helplessness. The pain that batters their soul. Naked, I marched to my bedroom. They started good, wanting to help, but the world beats them down. Adventurers attack them. Other dungeon builders send raids of monster girls. They suffer and bleed. They watch the monster girls they love die over and over again. They start to recoil from the pain. Harden their hearts.

Doing good just leads to agony. I threw open the door to my bedroom and marched around the large bed to the door to the vault. Why do good?

Why not take, Souleen? Conquer. Preemptive strikes. Lash out before they can hurt you. Crush your enemies beneath your feet. Maybe that's what happens to other dungeon builders. Why the world sees us all as evil.

Do you think that's happening to you? Souleen asked. You? You're so warm and caring, Lord Leo. Your monster girls sense it. Usiku, Paanee, and Baaghi all serve you because they sensed it, too. You care.

I opened the door onto my vault. The Void Crystal rested on its pedestal. It hummed as it absorbed the mana in the world. It flowed into the gem. Souleen sat atop it. A motherly woman with black hair and tan skin. She wasn't much bigger than my hand. She floated up into the air.

"Lord Leo," she said, speaking directly, "you want to help. You defended Astovin."

"They think I've conquered them," I said, feeling so weary. "They want to send me tribute. Taxes. I just want to be a good neighbor, but they and Lord Shorvin, whose domain covers them, think I'm expanding my territory."

"You'll convince Lord Shorvin that you're not."

I snorted. "Will I? But it's why the twins attacked Astovin. They did it so I would go and defend my territory. They wanted me to leave with my most powerful monster girls. The only reason we're alive, Souleen, was that I was already in the village. It gave me time to get back and stop the fight. We came close to dying."

"But we didn't die," Souleen said.

"This time. They'll attack again." My hands seized the Void Crystal. I gripped it hard. "I'm going to murder them, Souleen. I'm going to make them pay for what they did here. For petrifying Halia and the villagers. For the pain they caused Garnet."

"Pain?" Souleen asked.

"They stole her innocence from her."

"A succubus?"

"She might be a horny ball of naughty lust, but she was innocent in other ways. She killed today. She strangled a unicorn to death out of anger. My little sister can never take that back. She can never go back to being that innocent and adorable girl who had never harmed anyone. I'm going to murder the twins and enjoy it."

"Lord Leo," whispered Souleen. "Don't do this."

"I have to. They're out of control. I have to defeat them."

"Yes, yes, but this anger..." She rose to her feet, standing on the pinnacle of the Crystal. "You don't want to be a monster, do you?"

I closed my eyes. "No. But..." The yuki-onna's eyes rose. "How long can I withstand this before I stop caring?"

"We won't let you stop caring!" Souleen looked so fierce. So motherly. "Your monster girls and I will support you. We'll be there for you, Lord Leo. You won't have to do this alone. Okay? You'll have us to aid you."

I nodded. Then I winced. "I left Halia outside."

"She'll be fine," she said. "When you've revived your monster girls, they can go fetch her. Make sure she's safe."

I sighed. "How can I replace them when I find the next Mana Vein?" I stared at Souleen. "I made them. They're all unique and wonderful."

I remembered creating Sviesos. The first monster girl I conjured out of the ether. I gave her life. I spoke her name, and she sprang into being. I was the god who created her. But did that give me the right to condemn her to endless sleep?

"They'll do it for you," Souleen said, smiling.

"And then when I get Level 3 Monster Girls, I retire them, too?" I growled. "I'll have to, won't I? I have to upgrade to win. That's how video games work, and this world... Fuck, it's some twisted game. Some messed up online game, only I'm here in the flesh."

"I don't know what those words mean," she said. "Online? Video?"

"Don't worry about it." I closed my eyes. "I have a lot more mana."

"You killed a lot of monster girls today. You can easily double the number of monster girls you have and greatly expand your dungeon."

I felt all the slumbering monster girls. First, I would restore them to life. Could I really replace them, though? Could I condemn them to sleep for eternity? It didn't feel right to do that. Yes, it felt expedient. The easy choice.

The monstrous one.

I didn't want to be a monster. A demon feared by the world. I wanted to show them that I was their friend. That there was one Dungeon Builder who wasn't an asshole. I had to be different. I loved all my monster girls. My adorable wildhounds, my sexy mermaids, my delicious oozes, my busty satyrs, and my electric will o' wisps.

I awakened my mother first. I placed my dryad in the hot springs next to Garnet. My mother would comfort her. Garnet needed that right now. Lana Fulmine I put in the room with me. She appeared in a flash of shadows, her back arching.

"We won?" she asked.

"Barely," I told her. "You don't even know what happened here, do you? They attacked the dungeon."

"Oh, my," Lana said, her face horrified.

As I awakened the other monster girls, I told her about what had occurred. I placed the mermaids and oozes, the will o' wisps and wildhounds, and the satyrs in the hot spring. Then I added Paanee and Baaghi. They all needed a break. A chance to relax. From what I knew of the twins, their domain was so far away, that there was no reaching us for days.

We had some time to regroup and recover.

"Lana," I said. "Halia's outside in a wagon. We had to leave her. Can you bring her in? I want to create a special room for her."

"Of course," Lana said, her face so sad.

I stood for some time in silence. I could hear the splash of the monster girls in the hot springs while I thought about what to do next. I glanced at Souleen. "How do I go about finding Mana Veins?"

"They flow through the world, but there's no predicting their path," she said. "This room is where one flows through your dungeon. There will be others in this mountain range. They don't flow far. Only a mile from their wellspring to their terminus. You just have to expand in the right direction."

I shook my head. "I need to treat this like looking for diamonds in Minecraft."

Her tiny brow furrowed. I grabbed the stone and concentrated on the dungeon. From the throne room on, I made a single tunnel that led to the exit cave. I picked up Lana in the process and placed her at the very edge of the base.

Suddenly, I realized just how much more I had to build.

"I have to build test shafts," I said. "I have to go out in different directions. Once I find the Mana Vein, then I can build a new dungeon around the point."

"Oh, wow," said Souleen. "That's smart. That's how they find diamonds in your world?"

"In Minecraft," I said, smiling. "Let's just allow Lana some time to get Halia, then we can begin."

"Right!" Souleen said. "You're going to find the power and get so much stronger."

I nodded. My Level 1 Monster Girls did do some damage. They fought with the help of the stronger companions. What if I mixed in Level 2 with them? Let them aid each other. Could that work?

I hoped so. I wouldn't be a monster.